> I can't help but agree with Olin. Ban*, don't moderate.
> *suspend for a time

That option is, of course, logically available to anyone who wishes to
avail themselves of it.

Any time they are placed under moderation they can refrain from
posting at all until the moderation is removed. Few are liable to have
the ability to self manage themselves under this arrangement, but the
option is there.

If a person is placed on long term or permanent moderation then they
could, should they wish, consider themselves permanently banned. I'd
not recommend that option, but it's available.

The huge flaw in the "ban for a period" argument is that the hard core
disturbers who either can't learn (2 examples come immediately to
mind) or could learn if they wished but refuse to do so (1 example
comes immediately to mind) will simply cyclically wind things up as
soon as they are unbanned.  At each wave new newbies, or world class
experts who speak English as a second language, are abused and driven
off in showers of dead fish and lunar evocations.

The net result of implementing the OL, VM, N9 et al "ban them for a
while" model is a somewhat lower loss rate. But not low enough.

             Loss rate ~= L..b/(b+u).k

where L = loss rate without banning, b = mean ban period, u = mean
period between bannings and k is a personal uppityness or mental
illness factor * that varies with banee. While in most cases k<1,
there are known instances where K>1 or even k>>1.

The unnaceptability of this result causes the model to be rejected.


 RM

(*Reference to mental illness is NOT a dig at anyone presently on list
that I am aware of. There have been at least two cases that I am aware
of where mental stability has played a part in how things worked out
(plus one other case where a highly valued list member had problems
that did NOT result in them behaving badly on list (long long ago)). .
That's just part of the great range of human normal.)
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